Portable platform for lift trucks



Nov. 13, 1945. D` FALLER-r PORTABLE PLATFORM FOR LIFT TRUCKS Filed June 10, 1944 .Al/.5 HrroR/VE Ys,

Patented Nov. 13, 1945 PORTABLE PLATFORM FOR LIFT TRUCKS Clifford D. Fallert, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Gaylord Container Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Maryland Application June 10, 1944, Serial N o. 539,768

4 Claims.

This invention relates to platforms or pallets for supporting articles while being moved about on lift trucks in factories and/or while being stored or shipped. The object of the present invention is to provide a platform or pallet of corrugated board or other paper stock which is light in weight, simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble and has sufficient strength to resist crushing strains and hard usage to which such devices are subject. The invention consists in the corrugated board portable platform or pallet and in the construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the `accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 ls a perspective View of a portable platform or pallet embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view on the line 2-2 in Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section on the line 3--3 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on the line 4--4 in Fig. 3,

Fig, 5 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the side sills; and,

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the center sill.

My portable platform or pallet comprises a tubular shell or casing A of rectangular crosssection made from a single piece of corrugated board or other bendable material that is bent along four longitudinal lines to form top and bottom decks or walls I connected by vertical side walls 2. The butt joint 3 formed by the two longitudinal edges of the corrugated board sheet is located in one of the top and bottom decks of the tubular shell or casing A of the pallet midway of the side walls 2 thereof; and the corrugations of said sheet preferably extend crosswise in said top and bottom decks and vertically in said side walls.

The tubular corrugated board shell A of the portable platform or pallet is stiffened and strengthened and the top and bottom decks or walls I thereof held in vertically spaced relation by means of preformed side and center sills C and D, respectively, of laminated corrugated board or other paper stock that snugly fit within 'said shell and extend from end to end thereof.

Each of the laminated corrugated board side sills C comprises a longitudinal corrugated board channel member 4 and a plurality of longitudinal corrugated board strips 5 that are adhesively bonded or otherwise permanently secured together and to the outer face of the web of said channel member. The corrugated board strips 5 are disposed with their longitudinal edges ush with the outer faces of the side flanges of the corrugated board channel member 4, the corrugations in said strips and channel member extending transversely thereof. Each ofthe preformed side sills C snugly ts between the top and bottom decks I of the pallet, with the outermost corrugated board strip in surface contact with the inner face of one of the vertical side walls 2 of said pallet, and is rigidly secured therein preferably by means of staples 6 that pass through said decks and the inwardly extending top and bottom flanges of the corrugated board channel member of said side sill.

The preformed corrugated board center sill D comprises a plurality of flat corrugated board strips 1, which are adhesively or otherwise permanently secured together flatwise, and corrugated board strips that are bent to form two side channelsu 8 that are arranged one on each side of the flat strip assembly with their web portions adhesively or otherwise permanently secured flaty wise to opposite sides thereof and with their side flanges extending outwardly therefrom. The flat filler strips I are disposed with their edges flush with the outer faces of the side flanges of the channel-shaped strips 8 and the corrugations of all the strips extend transversely thereof. 'Ihe preformed laminated corrugated board center sill D snugly fits within the tubular body A of the pallet substantially midway of the sides 2 thereof with the top and bottom decks or walls I of said body seating against the edges of the flat strips 'I and the side flanges of the channel-shaped strips 8 and rigidly secured to said side flanges preferably by means of staples 9.

The hereinbefore described portable lift truck platform or pallet is made entirely of corrugated board and is thus light in weight, easily handled, simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. The preformed corrugated board center and side sills are strong andY rigid and thus stiffen and strengthen th'e pallet and enable it to resist the crushing strains to which it is subject in service. The spaces between the side and center sillsl provide two pockets at each end of the pallet for entry of the elevating fork 0f a lift truck; and the corrugations in th'e at sheets of the sills and the webs of the channels thereof are all disposed vertically so as to increase the vertical load carrying capacity of the pallet and to maintain the top and bottom decks thereof in proper spaced relation. The

load cai-mns capacity or the pallet is further increased by the transversely disposed corrugations in the top and bottom decks and the vertical corrugations ln th'e side walls of the pallet and by locating the butt lolnt between the meeting edges 'oi' the pallet body forming sheet opposite the center sill and between the double row ot securing staples therefor.

WhatIclaimis:

1. A pallet for a lift truck comprising a tubular outside casing of corrugated board or the like including spaced upper and lower decks and side walls connecting said decks, and side and center sill assemblies secured within said tubular outside casing between said upper and lower decks with the side sill assemblies disposed alongside of said assemblies are disposed vertically in said tubular outside casing and are surface-bonded together. the innermost strips ot the side sill assemblies are bent to form ilanges that are mechanically secured ilatwise to said upper and lower decks and the two outside strips ol' said center sill assembly are bent to form flanges that are mechanically secured iiatwise to said upper and lower decks.`

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the corrugated board strips of each of said sill assemblies are disposed vertically and surface bonded together, the innermost corrugated board strips of the side sill assemblies are bent to form flanges that are mechanically secured ilatwise to said upper and lower decks, the two outermost corrugated board strips of the center sill assembly are bent to form flanges that are mechanically secured to said upper and lower decks, and said tubular outside casing is made from a strip oi corrugated'board that is bent to form the upper and lower decks and side walls of said tubular outside casing and the opposite side edges of said bent piece of corrugated board are disposed in meeting relation opposite th'e center sill assembly between the mechanically secured flanges thereof.

CLIFFORDDFALLERT. 

